Come Back, Be Here
by makemusicnothorcruxes
Summary: This is falling in love in the cruelest way, this is falling for you and you are worlds away. Beca has always run from her feelings, and Chloe's got her running all the way to L.A.


The air was crisp as Beca sucked it into her aching lungs. She could see Aubrey up ahead and was determined to catch her. Keeping pace by her side was a flash of pink which she knew much be Chloe. Chloe never seemed to be far from where Beca was. The rest of the Bellas ran behind them, with Fat Amy bringing up the rear. Since their abysmal performance at the Sigma Beta Theta's Fall Mixer, Aubrey had kicked the cardio up to eleven. They were now rehearsing once a day, twice on weekends. Aubrey was like a drill sergeant preparing her troops for battle. Beca couldn't really blame her – they had been embarrassingly bad – but Beca never took well to be being ordered around by others. Especially not somebody like Aubrey who had this insane need to control every little thing. Not to mention the fact that she still seemed to hate Beca. Beca couldn't have a solo, or be in the front row for the dance, in case her inferior alt-girl ways somehow ruined everything the Barden Bellas stood for. Admittedly it was almost a legitimate fear. Beca was dying to change the way acapella worked. She wanted to be different and she thought that given half a chance, Aubrey might like it. But Aubrey was a stickler for tradition so Beca was stuck singing thirty year old, tired pop tunes. She had only joined the Bellas to show her Dad she was giving college a good go so he would let her move to L.A. at the end of the year. That was what she really wanted – to produce music. She made amateur remixes on her laptop as a hobby but she dreamed of turning it into a career. The idea of hearing one of her mixes played on the radio was just the coolest thing to her.

Another glance at Aubrey told Beca that she was slowing slightly, so Beca forced her legs to move just a little faster. It wasn't really a fair competition, Aubrey was tall with long legs while Beca barely stood above five-foot. Aubrey could take bigger strides. But Beca was nothing if not competitive and determined so she pushed herself forward. The gap was closing between the pair and even Chloe had dropped back. It was just Aubrey and Beca now, a battle of silent wills, neither wanting to lose to the other. Her feet pounded the grass as she drew level with Aubrey. Aubrey faltered for a split second when she noticed Beca running beside her. They were neck and neck as they crossed what was deemed to be the finish line (in reality it was just a lamp post and a tree) and slowed to a stop. Aubrey had her hands on her head, breathing heavy while Beca was doubled over, her hands digging into the stitch that had formed in her side.  
"Good job, Beca." Aubrey praised her once she had regained her breath somewhat. Although Aubrey's pride was a little dented, she was first and foremost the Bellas captain. The rest of the girls had finished and were gathering around waiting for Aubrey's next instructions. Everyone except for Fat Amy who had sat down on the other side of the quad halfway through the run. Aubrey waved her over with a tight-lipped smile. Beca knew the tell-tale signs by now and was sure whatever Aubrey had to say next would not be good.  
"Well done Beca and Chloe, I can really tell all the cardio is paying off." She nodded in acknowledgement at the two girls standing side by side, as always. "The rest of you, what were you doing out there? I've seen toddlers run faster than that! If you're not going to try then why are you here? I'm not forcing you to do this." She directed her gaze at Ashley and Denise who were lying on the cool grass. They sat up immediately and mumbled some kind of apologetic response. Stacie was looking at her nails with an unusual amount of intrigue as an excuse not to look up at Aubrey. Fat Amy raised her hand.  
"You literally came to my dorm and dragged me out of bed to be here."  
Despite the tenseness of the situation the Bellas couldn't help but laugh. Chloe stepped up to the front of the group and looked at Aubrey.  
"Don't worry, we'll get it together. You just have to stop pushing so hard because it's stopping us from wanting to be here. Bellas rehearsal dismissed, see you in the music room this afternoon." Technically Chloe was the co-captain so she had the authority to do that but nobody was game to leave until Aubrey had confirmed.  
"Yeah, fine. Go. We'll work extra hard this afternoon."

Aubrey turned and marched off in the direction of her dorm. The others dispersed slower, sticking around to chat, or complain about the strict cardio regime they all hated. They were singers, not runners. Eventually they had all cleared the quad and gone their separate ways, except for Beca who had agreed to work on her harmonies with Chloe. There was just one part that they both struggled with and they knew Aubrey would have a fit if it wasn't fixed by the afternoon's rehearsal. They walked back to Chloe's dorm that she shared with Aubrey slowly letting their muscles cool down. Chloe linked her arm through Beca's and despite her adherence to almost all forms of affection, Beca didn't pull away. Chloe was clingy, always touching, always in her personal space. If it was anybody else she would have cared more but somehow Chloe seemed to get away with it. They reached the door and Chloe unlinked her arm so she could slip the key into the lock. Once inside it was evident that Aubrey must have gone for a shower which Beca was glad for, it was so much more awkward practicing with her in the room. Chloe turned her back to Beca and lifted her shirt off over her head. Her muscles rippled, highlighted by the sweat that glistened against her skin. The gentle curves in her back pulled Beca's eyes like a magnet, directing her gaze down towards the small of Chloe's back. Biting her lip, Beca turned her head away. _Stop it_, she chided herself, _just because you've seen her naked doesn't mean you should be thinking about it_. What was wrong with her? Her mind fought her eyes which desperately wanted to look back at Chloe's butt covered in her tight exercise shorts. No, this couldn't be happening. Beca was the girl who'd gotten her first kiss at twelve and who'd let Chris Murphy get to third base with her at their high school graduation. She was the girl who'd been secretly enjoying the shameless flirting Jesse had been doing with her since the day they'd met. She'd never looked at a girl the way she wanted to look at Chloe right now. Her feelings were strange but somehow exciting, which scared her. She allowed herself another peek at Chloe who was now standing at her open wardrobe dressed in only her underwear.  
"Uh, Chloe, I think I'm gonna have to take a raincheck," Beca said hurriedly, slinging her bag over her shoulder and already making her way to the door. Chloe nodded, saying she totally understood if Beca had other things to do. Within seconds Beca was racing down the corridor and out into the cool air of the campus grounds. Throwing her bag onto the ground she slumped against a tree. She hugged her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. The sight of Chloe's exposed body was permanently burned into her memory. Both from that time in the shower and what she'd seen just a minute ago. She didn't want it there. When had she started thinking about Chloe in that way? It had hit her like a truck, one second she was flirting with the dorky guy she worked at the radio station with, and the next she couldn't get the girl with the ginger curls off her mind. It took a few moments before Beca's heart rate slowed and she got back onto her feet. Her mind still raced with thoughts but at least she could breathe easily again. She went back into the building to shower, praying that the warm water would wash away her memory of the morning and everything would go back to normal.


End file.
